Test series in India a big challenge: Brett Lee

Jaipur, Sept 23 (ANI): Australian cricket teams fast bowler, Brett Lee on Tuesday said that the upcoming Test Series in India would be a big challenge for the young Australian side.

Addressing a news conference in Jaipur, where the Australian cricket team will be training for a week, Lee said that it would be good for the Australian side to face India.

“The younger guys have to start somewhere and what better stage than to play here in India. It’’s a wonderful place to tour - the country, the people, the culture, the cricket’’s pretty hard work, so we have to make sure our plans are in place.”

The Australian team will fly to Hyderabad for a four-day match against the Indian team from October 2.

The team landed in Mumbai on Monday and then flew to Rajasthan.

Brett Lee also added that All-rounder Andrew Symonds would be missed and added, But we surely have other great players here who can hopefully almost step into Andrew’’s shoes.

Andrew Symonds was dropped from the team for the one-day series with Bangladesh in Darwin earlier this month after he missed a team meeting and went fishing instead and was not included for the India series as well.

Australia will be counting on their pace attack, not spin, to beat India in the four-test series that begins next month, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch had said on Friday.

The Kiwis named the uncapped Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle in their 15-man squad to provide back up to the front line trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson for the series.

Captain Ricky Ponting and opening batsman Matthew Hayden have been included after they returned home injured from West Indies tour.

Ponting had surgery while Hayden underwent an extensive rehabilitation programme, with both missing the recent one-day series in Darwin.

The first test begins in Bangalore on October 9, followed by matches in Mohali (October 17-21), Delhi (October 29-November 2) and in Nagpur (November 5-9).

Hilditch said the series was becoming as important to Australia as the Ashes series with England. (ANI)